Today I have Autumn Pepper on for a chat as we talk about her new book, Trouble Won't Wait.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hm. How bout some stuff I don’t have up in my bio on my website: I compulsively grow Jurassic-size house plants (seriously, I need a second person to repot most of them). I did hard time for 7 years—as a teacher stunt-double (aka substitute teacher, and if you think stunt double is an exaggeration, try covering on the day the 5th graders watch the hygiene videos, an all-day walking field trip to the lake, or—horrors! the first day of school). Sometimes when my teenagers fight, I yearn for temporary hearing loss. But only temporary, mind you. 2. What genre do you write?Contemporary romance—more spicy than sweet.

3. Please tell us about your latest release Trouble Won’t Wait and how you came up with the idea.For a local writing contest, I put together a short story, A Walk at a Crossroads, about a woman out for a walk on Thanksgiving Day, mulling over a big problem: she caught her husband “in the act” the night before, with another woman. While she’s out walking, she meets a man who obviously finds her attractive. She leaves the meeting trying to decide what to do about her marriage… and leaving the reader to decide as well. The short story placed in the contest, but by the time the awards night arrived, I’d already belted out the rest of the novel. 4. Is it part of a series?It is now! I’m working on the sequel, in which Mandy’s husband Mike gets his happily-ever-after. He’s not a bad guy, really. And I’m also planning the prequel, which will probably be a short free read about Mandy’s big brother Mark. 5. A must have snack while you write.I don’t eat much while writing, but I do love to drink Red Bull. In fact, I’d intended to dedicate my first published novel to it.6. If you had to choose a favorite book that you’ve written, which would it be?I really love Trouble Under Venus. The heroine, Randi travels back in time to find what happened to her father, who she’s never met because he’s been missing since she was a baby. My father went missing, too, and I never met him. So I was very emotionally invested in the outcome of her trip. (unlike Randi, I haven’t stumbled upon a means to travel back in time, lol)7. Advice to writers who have yet to be published.Keep revising. Keep writing, and definitely belong to a critique group. You’ll learn sooo much, not only about writing, but about the business in general.8. Is there a genre you haven’t written yet that you want to?I’ve considered writing a m/m romance about the gay BFF Nate, from Lone Star Trouble, and his happily-ever-after with Texas cowboy Clay. I might need to do that under my other pen name, though…9. Any quirky habits?I’m absolutely dedicated to brushing my teeth in the morning before eating. Or doing pretty much anything else. Otherwise, no. I’m not weird. Everyone else is! lol 10. Have you written a character that most resembles you?That would be Mandy, in Trouble Won’t Wait. When my mom first read it, she insisted Mandy’s story must’ve happened to me. Sometimes convincing people we know that we’ve made all this stuff up, can be difficult. 11. What type of hero do you enjoy writing about?Hunky! I made a list of my heroes and found a rich guy working a blue-collar job, a has-been rockstar, a cowboy, and FBI agent, a fireman, a lawyer…pretty varied. And their personalities vary, as well. But they’re all pretty to look at, and above all else, fiercely loyal. 12. What are you currently reading?The Fiery Cross, by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series)And I Hate Everything, Starting With Me, by Joan Rivers (God, she makes me laugh!) 13. What are you currently working on?The sequel to Trouble Won’t Wait: Trouble, AnonymousThanks for having me! Have a great day.

Autumn PiperGot romance?Autumnpiper.comTwitter: @AutumnPiperAuth

Good things may come to those who wait, but trouble waits for no one…Cheating is a dealbreaker...or so Mandy’s always thought. But when she catches her husband getting some “strange,” she realizes how hard it is to cut and run, or even file papers. She agrees to a month of counseling, which will give her time to grieve the loss of her marriage before she has to tell the world—and the kids. Then she meets Adam, who gives her a hunky--if mysterious--shoulder to cry on, and that thirty-day waiting period seems like an eternity. Adam has no problem confessing that he’s watched Mandy from his window for months as she runs by his house. If he told her why, though, she’d freak out for sure. He knows they’ve got a future together, if he can think of a way to explain his past. And he’s sure the rat-bastard who cheated on her is putting the moves on her again, but he won’t be the revenge guy. The month-long cooling off period she agreed to is lasting forever, and might just be indefinite, if trouble keeps getting in their way. WARNING: Eccentric old lady pushing salt-of-the-earth advice, bossy big brother, kooky counselor, super-secretive hunk, and perfect justice served amidst adult situations and language.

Excerpt

Mandy’s individual session with the unconventional marriage counselor I doubt Baldwin understands my resolve, so I explain. “I’m only here because I’m stalling Mike until after the holidays to separate.” Or was Mike stalling me? I’m not sure anymore. “I have no intention of ever sleeping with him again, and I want a divorce.” That should be clear enough. His bushy brows shoot up. I’ve piqued the wanta-be therapist’s interest. “Why do you feel that way?” God, could it be more simple? “He had sex with a woman we know, while I was in the same house! Anybody, even one of the kids, could have walked in on it! It makes me sick to think of him touching me.” “Do you still love him?” Jesus, did Mike put him up to asking that? “It doesn’t matter. I can’t forgive him for what he did. I’ll never forget what I saw, it comes to me at all hours of the day and night.” “So you do still love him, but you’re angry, possibly jealous of his having another partner without your consent.”Without my consent. This guy probably advocates swapping and threesomes, all the fun and games, as long as both spouses consent. I snap my gawping mouth shut. Good ole Baldwin looks me straight in the eye. “What if you were to have an encounter with an outside partner, to even the score?” Is it the smoke from the candles or his suggestion making me choke? “You mean like a revenge affair?” Stampeding thoughts of Adam shred my calm like buffalo through prairie turf. I feel flushed.